Life, 1885-10-29 · page 5 of 16
Life — October 29, 1885 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 243 **The Cartoon ("Thoughts on Decoration - No. 1: 'Lawn Tennis'")** This illustration by K. Moyr Smith depicts five figures playing lawn tennis in exaggerated, dynamic poses. The satire appears to target the absurdity of athletic fashion and form rather than any specific political figure. The stylized, contorted bodies mock both the pretensions of "proper" sporting behavior and perhaps the growing trend of women's participation in athletics during this era—a socially controversial topic. **Text Content** The page includes anecdotal humor about a Mexican railroad superintendent and a brief literary review of "The Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountains." These appear to be typical magazine filler rather than political commentary, reflecting Life's mix of social satire, humor, and book reviews.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THOUGHTS ON DECORATION.—No. 1. “LAWN TENNIS,” A PANEL A LA Moyr SMITH. A CHOICE. ETWEEN the years 1880 and 1884 the central belt of Mexico was the scene of many humorous situations between the American civil engineers and railroad men, who could not speak Spanish, and the natives of Mexico, who were connected with the railroad work then being vigorously pushed. On one occasion C.C. Coyle (an American of Irish birth), a blustering, violent-tempered superintendent of works, was in trouble with a subordinate, a descendant of the Montezumas, who had the characteristics of his race, that of superficial politeness, of taking off his hat and saying, in a most differential tone. “ Sz, sevior’ (Yes, sir) to every sen- tence uttered. Our Irish friend Coyle was lecturing him in his choicest English, thus : “Ye hev yer ordthers plain and clear.” * Si, sefior.”” Ye niver obey thim.” “ Si, sefior.” “ Divel a time.” “Si, sefior.” “Ye're a loire!" s this same Coyle was noted for the number of revolvers | he carried about the result was painful. HER FATHER WAS A FINANCIER. D where are you going, my pretty maid ?” “I'm going to Canada, sir,” she said. “And why are you going up there, my dear?” “ The old man, sir, is a bank cashier.” “ And when are you coming back?” said I. “As soon, kind sir, as the clouds roll by.” “And when, pretty maiden, may that time be ?” “When all the directors are ‘ s#f/s,’"" quoth she. THE PROPHET OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS. NOVEL which faithfully though ideally reflects the life and country with which the author's deepest experi- ences are associated is the very best form of fiction; a novel drawing its whole inspiration from other books is the worst. It is merely a mirror which dimly reflects another's | fancies. The best thing about Miss Murfree’s (Craddock’s) stories is that a new country is revealed to us by one who is a loving interpreter. It is not mere landscape painting. That is often dreary enough. It is the association of the moods of Nature with the moods of man. The gray, desolate plain and grim parapets of Fort Despair, the long rows of soldiers’ empty graves, the ghostly roll of | drums and clash of steel were an inseparable part of the lives comicbooks.com